We are excited to share with you the next interview in our “Beyond the Page” series featuring Laura Berman Fortgang.
Chaos doesn’t just interrupt our plans. It rewires our attention, shrinks our options, and convinces us we’re out of control. That’s why I’m thrilled to sit down again with Master Certified Coach Laura Berman Fortgang, author of “Coaching in Chaos: Navigating a Rapidly Changing World,” to unpack what actually works when clients feel overwhelmed, reactive, and stuck.
We get practical fast. Laura shares a deceptively simple coaching move that can stop a spiral mid-sentence: separate what’s controllable from what isn’t, then choose the next controllable step. We also dig into the distinction between facts versus interpretation, and how catastrophizing can hijack decision-making in uncertain times. Along the way, we talk about boundaries (what’s mine vs what’s theirs), how coaches avoid getting “hooked” by a client’s drama, and how we help someone unhook without minimizing what they’re facing.
From there we move into resilience and recovery. Laura reframes resilience as the ability to bounce back without taking chaos personally, and she introduces the idea of an on purpose distraction, a conscious break that restores joy and protects your nervous system. We also explore how to prepare for chaos in business and life with reserves, systems, backups, and real-world “what if” planning, including a client story where the preparation mattered right on time.
In this episode, I talk with Laura about her article published in our June 2026 issue.
Know of an author we should interview? Send me an email to podcast@choice-online.com
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